Monday, December 31, 2012

It's the last day of the year and I actually have some pictures to post. That could be because I finally have my camera! I accidently left the camera at Nikki's house on Dec. 23rd and it was amazing how many times I wanted to take a picture when I didn't have my camera. Isn't that how it always happens? :-)

Here's what's on the wall right now. I really felt the needto sew the other night and I remembered seeing the pattern Jelly Jive when Jerry was here the last time. I decided to play around and this is what I cam up with. I'm not going to border this. I'm just going to layer it and quilt it! It will finish about 52" x 68"

I know this is not something that everyone would love, but for some reason, I REALLY like this. It's quick and very free-form. It kind of reminds me of the Tears of Joy quilt I made last year and I already have an idea of another variation of this. I'm going to pull some scraps and sketch it out later this evening.

Looking at this quilt has got me wondering something. How do you sew your rows together? Do you start at the top and sew down? Do you add one row at a time or do you work in pairs?

I often start from the bottom and work my way up. Actually, I will sew a couple of the bottom rows together and then sew them together. I then sew a few more rows and add them to the already connected rows. Once I have the bottom half together, I sew the remaining rows (from the bottom up) and then sew the two halves together. I believe it is simply a matter of personal preference, but I'm just curious. :-)

Life had been quite frantic recently (pretty much since Lynn's wedding in October), but I did accomplish a few things. First of all, Mom and I were in cahoots about a Christmas quilt surprise for Terri and Danny. Even though she didn't make it to Christmas and see them open the gift, I know she was there in spirit. It was really fun to plot about this project and Mom was sure to tell me (and Ann) what she wanted written on the card. I was almost giddy when I dropped off the wrapped gift at Terri's and even more so when she called me after it was opened on Christms Eve. We were both sad that Mom wasn't﻿ there for the "grand opening" but know she was watching and smiling! I even relayed the conversations that Mom and I had while planning this surprise, and that made us laugh. The quilt is Share and Share Alike from Transparency Quilts by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.

It's big - 88" x 107" - but easy and quick to construct. I quilted it much like they did in the book, with a simple all-over meander. I used a grey thread and like how it looks throughout the entire quilt, even the black border.

The other day, before Nikki and family arrived, I decided I wanted to make a quick donation quilt so I found some 5" squares that had been sitting around just begging to be used. I looked through some notes that I had made about an easy way to set charms on point and not have to deal with setting triangles. I sewed the charms in an 8 x 12 layout (side by side) and with just two strategically placed cuts and re-sewing I had a quilt top that had the charms on point. I added borders, quilt and bound it and now it's ready for donating. I had this entire 52" x 64" quilt done in a day and a half. YEAH!!

Of course, I didn't take pictures during the process, but I plan on doing this again so I'll post a tutorial. What do you think? I like it, and it was easy!

Here's a quick run-down on my numbers for 2012.

New Quilts Done, Done, Done (pieced, quilted and bound): 21 (22 if I get busy and finish the Jelly Jive quilt pictured above)

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

I've been meaning to post a few pictures from Lynn and Ty's wedding and I just realized that I never got around to do it. No more waiting!

Sometimes, simple is best!﻿

As we celebrated love that day, we missed those who were able to join us in spirit only.

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The necklace! This necklace has been worn by most of the brides in my family weddings since Mom and Dad married. Mom is helping Lynn put the necklace in the flowers so she can carry on the tradition. I don't doubt that there were a few words of wisdom exchanged here too.

Speaking of words of wisdom; I'm sure Sadie had a few for Lynn as well. Don't you just love how Sadie decied she wanted to wear her headband? :-)﻿

The kids needed a bit of entertainment while waiting for the ceremony to begin, and what better way to be entertained than sitting so close to the ceiling? ﻿

This looks like Ty is the one giving the advise here.﻿

And here are the lovely bridesmaids...

Ty and Rev. Roger are ready.﻿

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I just love this picture. Nikki is so beautiful!

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So is Quinn! She did such a good job walking up the aisle all by herself.

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And here comes the bride!

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The Unity Candle ceremony was beautiful! Jack was reading scripture during this part of the wedding and I was so touched.﻿

And here's the happy couple.﻿

The wedding party made a quick stop on the way to the reception.

It's time for the fun to begin!﻿

There was laughter...

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There was dancing...

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by both young and old.﻿

And there was just plain lots of fun! I loved the hula hoops, lights and bling!﻿

And just like Quinn looking for surprises under Lynn's train...﻿

Lynn and Ty's life will be full of adventures. So with a kiss, they begin their journey together!﻿

Thursday, December 13, 2012

This quilt was pretty easy to make and it only takes 20- 2 1/2" strips plus the sashing and borders. That means you can make two of these from one jelly roll or bali pop! WoooHooo!! Sorry, I don't have the pattern in front of me to tell you the yardage,. Besides, I did make my borders different from the pattern - of course.

Next up is Fiesta!, which is a really bright and fun quilt!

I finished piecing this top quite a long time ago (I think in 2009) but just quilted and bound it this summer (July). I don't know why it's taken so long to post this picture! Anyway, it is really a fun quilt and the colors just remind me of a party. :-)

Keep your fingers crossed that I get some quilting done in the next few days. I'd love to be able to post more pictures.

Monday, December 10, 2012

It sure feels like it's been a long time since I posted a Design Wall Monday project!

Shocking as it may seem, I have more than one project in the works right not. The first one, and the one that is actually up on the wall as I type this, is not for public consumption yet. Actually, it's a gift for someone who reads my blog and I really don't want to let them see it. I promise to show it soon.

Here's one of the other quilts on which I am currently working. If you're a long-time reader of my blog, this will look familiar to you.

I started hand piecing all of these blocks a couple of years ago and diligently worked on them for quite a while. I planned to make a king-sized quilt and had completed 45 blocks. Unfortunately other projects caught my attention and this project was pushed to the back burner. In the past year, I have worked on this off and on, but more off than on. :-( I now have 55 blocks completed and have decided to start putting them together and make more as needed. I'm not married to the idea of making this a kinq-size quilt any longer and will probably be happy with whatever size it ends up being when these blocks are done.

Although I'm excited to be working on this again, I do have a pretty big regret about this quilt. Mom had watched me work on these blocks and often asked about them. As a matter of fact, she asked me about them when she was here for Lynn's wedding in October. I showed her a couple of the latest blocks and decided right then and there to get busy. Well, with Mom's recent death (Dec. 1st), I feel sad for not having finished this quilt so she could see it. Her death has made me determined that this WILL be finished and it will be used!

To check out what other quilters have on their design walls today, go to Judy L's

A mother shows every emotion...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy sorrow..., and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life.

She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take.

She's your first love; your first friend, even your first enemy. Nothing on earth can separate you.

Monday, November 19, 2012

I got a bit of sewing done this weekend and I was able to finish the top of my scrappy version of the Twisted quilt. For more information on this pattern by and others by Amber Johnson of Gigi's Thimble, click HERE.

I also made a smaller version in solids. I like the vertical chain on this one! Now if I could just find the time to quilt these...

Pay it Forward!

While I was participating in the UR Priceless Blog Hop, I came upon the opportunity to Pay It Forward on Greco Mara's blog. I jumped at the chance to participate and hope some of you do too.

*

I would love to Pay
It Forward (PIF) and send YOU a crafty gift. So, I'm asking you to sign up
by commenting on this post. International
quilters are welcome.

1) On Wednesday, November 21st, I will draw three "winners" from the comments on this post. I will make a crafty gift for each of these people and send it to them within the next 45 days. (This little gift is a surprise, and I won't post about what I send until after all have been sent and received.)

2) To sign up to Pay It Forward, you need to commit to
the project yourself... so you can pay it forward too! Just post this, or
something similar on your blog so others can get involved.

3) You need to
have an active blog of your own...{or some other way to post up your PIF info
like a flickr, pinterest, or facebook account. Basically you'll need a place to
announce your own PIF and to post some pics of the process.}

4) After
notification that you have been chosen to play along, post something similar on your blog...so you can spread
the Pay It Forward love. I will email you asking for your mailing address {and
the online address where you are posting} so I can get your little treat in the
mail. {Please make sure that your email address is visible on your profile or
leave it in the comment.}

I am so excited about this opportunity and
can't wait to send YOU a little gift.

If you're still interested after
reading all of these "rules", please leave me a comment telling me your interest and favorite color. I hope to hear from a lot of people to
make it more fun, don't you just love paying it forward?To see what other quilters have on their design walls today, check out Judy L's Patchwork Times.﻿

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

It's the last day of the UR Priceless Blog Hop and that kind of makes me sad. I've really enjoyed seeing all these wonderful creations and it has been so inspiring for me. Of course, I always try to look on the bright side of things and the end of this hop means that another one will be starting soon.

Update: I forgot to mention that there is a giveaway on my UR Priceless post, so be sure to check it out HERE.)

Here's what I have so far. (I don't know what happened to the picture. Yuck! I guess I'll try to take another one and replace this one as soon as possible. Sorry!)

Because I'm using a layer cake, this will be a "controlled scrappy" quilt. Here's a picture of a fat quarter bundle of fabric line so you can get a better idea of what the fabrics look like. I know that the quilt is kind of boring right now but once all the fabrics are done, I think it will be quite pretty.

I chose a green for the X because many of the fabrics have a touch of green in them, but there is no fabric in which the green is the focus color.

I'm going to make at least one more of these quilts, using solids rather than prints. Check out the lower right corner of the pattern cover to see how it'll look. I'll be using white as my background, just like the picture.

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This is the first time I've used a pattern from Gigi's Thimbles (Amber Johnson) and so far, so good. The directions are written quite clearly and the diagrams, especially the cutting diagrams are self-explanatory. I realy appreciate a well-written pattern! I can easily see more of her patterns in my near future. :-)

I've never made anything like these little coin purses before and this is a pretty busy time of the year for me, but they were just so darn cute that I simply couldn't resist. (Could you?) Of course I really didn't have to make five of these and have the pieces and parts ready for three more, but they are easy to make and I couldn't stop my brain from thinking about them. :-)

Here's my first attempt. Oh yea, I've decided to name each of my purses, just like I do my quilts. Why not, right?

This is "My Contribution to the National Debt." The little circles and swirls all over the fabrics made me think of the fireworks on July 4th so I'll store a bit of money for the government coffers here. Notice I've used the green stuff and not coins here. I'm being realistic, not wishful. :-)

Here's my "Mad Money" purse.

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I'll use this to set aside money for when the grandkids are here. The colors just remind me of fun, girly stuff.

I know it won't last long, but I think I can get by with just saving coins to entertain the kids.﻿

Well, I had to make a purse to help me save up for all those Christmas presents I need to buy, now didn't I? I've named this one "You Can't Buy Happiness, But I'm Going To Try Anyway" Do you notice there is no money with this purse yet? I really am not ready to think about shopping yet, so I'm going to ignore it as long as possible. I know it won't work, but I'm going to try anyway. :-)

Instead of shopping for Christmas, I'd rather be thinking about saving for some really exciting trip. I know Jack loves to travel, so maybe I should give him this "On The Road Again" purse so he can start saving.

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This final purse today is probably my favorite. At least it's the one that is truly most dear to my heart and probably the one which will see the most action. Introducing "Stash".

All the side are from patchwork pieces that I sewed together using scraps.

Even the inside (lining) is patchwork.

I think we can all relate to the money pictured here. Coins just won't cut it, will they?

As I said before, these were a lot of fun and pretty easy but I have to admit that like many others have said, the handles were the most challenging thing for me. I found it really helpful to use my Clover Wonderclips to hold the handles in place while I hand stitched them, and I'm please with the results.

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Thanks for reading this very long post. As a reward, I'm having a little giveaway. :-)
Just like these coin purses, every woman needs at least one little black dress and here's your chance to win one. Don't worry, it's a one-size-fits-all.

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For your chance to win this cute little charm pack, just leave me a message here on this post. You don't have to be a follower, but I'd be pleased if you decided to become one. :-)

The winner will be randomly selected and announced in the evening on November 15th, which is a couple of days after the hop ends. That should give everyone a chance to read the posts and enter the giveaway.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Today is one of those bittersweet days that I know we all have, but often don't like to admit.

Today is Lynn and John's birthday.

I miss John every day and I still can't believe he's been gone five years. (I was trying to add a picture to this post, but I don't have a good picture in this computer to upload and that made me feel even worse! I'm going to keep trying.)

Today is also Lynn's birthday. She and John often exchanged special birthday gifts and it was always so fun to watch them do that. I miss that!

Perhaps Lynn's recent marriage has had an affect on my feelings about this year's birthday, but I'm really "feeling" it today.

Jack and I will have the opportunity to spend a bit of time with Lynn and Ty this afternoon and I'm really glad for that. Perhaps that will make me feel better.